VIA opens innovation centre in India

VIA has opened a new innovation centre in Mumbai and plans to set up a team in India to give a push to sub Rs 10,000 PC.

Developer of silicon chip technologies and PC platform solutions VIA Technologies on Tuesday said it has opened a new innovation centre in Mumbai and plans to set up a team in India to give a push to sub Rs 10,000 personal computer.

The innovation centre in Mumbai, which was opened in January, will produce solutions for global markets, Richard Brown Vice President of Corporate Marketing at VIA said.

The company also has a computing lab at IIT Mumbai.

VIA, which provided technology platform and chipsets for sub Rs 10,000 personal computers, is planning to give a big push to the product.

"The sub Rs 10,000 PC has not taken off in a way which it can so we are planning to set up a team in India to revitalise it," he said.

Brown said the innovation centre set up by VIA in Mumbai is one of its kind in the world for the company.

"We have research and development teams in US, Taiwan and China. The India team is, however, unique as it is working on new ideas that involve productising solutions and using the products for innovative uses," he said.

The Mumbai innovation centre had conceptualised VIA PHD Appliances that can work in extreme environments.

"Through our centre in Mumbai we are working on a number of exciting projects on PHD appliances in the areas of wireles mesh networking and kiosk computing," Brown said.

The company was also planning to beef up its sales force in the country, he said, adding that an announcement in this regard would be made in the coming weeks.